Mise en Place Check Sheet
Catch the missing garnish, the unlabelled tub and the empty backup before service starts, when there is still time to fix it.
RB-14 1 page
Restaurants and bars · RB-26
Restaurant Opening Checklist
A free printable restaurant opening checklist — front of house, the kitchen pass and a premises safety walk, ticked off before doors open.
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One page. Choose your paper size — both versions are laid out identically, so neither one gets shrunk to fit.
Print it and write on it
Fill it in type and save
The fillable versions have real form fields — open them in any PDF reader, type into them and save. Printing help.
What this sheet is for
Run the same opening round every time, across the whole restaurant rather than one station, so nothing gets skipped because someone was in a hurry before service.
Who it is for
Restaurant managers, duty managers and opening shift leads.
How to use it
- Tick each job as it is done, in whichever order suits your service — the groups are front of house, kitchen and pass, then a final safety walk.
- Cross out anything that does not apply to your restaurant and write in what does on the spare lines.
- Record the time doors actually opened and who signed it off.
- Note anything left undone at the bottom so the next shift sees it.
What is on the sheet
One page, top to bottom:
Printed under the title: The whole-restaurant opening round before doors open — front of house, the kitchen pass and the premises walk — ticked by whoever opens, as distinct from one station's own prep list or the bar's own routine.
Your own opening order. The exact jobs and the order you do them in depend on your restaurant, your systems and your own rota. Tick what applies, cross out what does not, and use the spare lines for anything specific to your service.
Write-on lines: Restaurant · Date · Service · Opened by
Front of house
- Lights, music and signage on
- Floor, windows and glass checked and clean
- Tables, covers and condiments set
- Reservations list reviewed and briefed to the team
- Host stand and waiting list cleared from last service
- Till floats counted and signed for
- Card machine and receipt printer tested
- Restrooms checked and stocked
- High chairs and accessible seating checked
- Outdoor or patio area set, if used
Kitchen and pass
- Prep and mise en place confirmed complete
- Fridge and freezer temperatures checked and logged
- Pass and hot cupboard switched on and up to heat
- Specials and any 86'd items briefed to front of house
- Allergen and dietary information confirmed current
- Dishwasher or glass washer running and tested
Premises and safety, before doors open
- Fire exits and escape routes clear
- Extinguishers and alarm panel visually checked
- First aid kit present and accessible
- Deliveries put away, walkways clear
- Bins and external area checked
- Final walk-through by the manager or duty lead
Write-on lines: Doors opened at · Signed off by
Ruled lines: Notes — anything left undone, or to flag to the next shift
Questions
How is this different from a kitchen prep list?
A prep list covers one station's mise en place. This covers the whole restaurant before service starts — front of house, the pass, and a safety walk through the premises — and it is ticked by whoever opens, not by each section separately.
Does this replace the bar's own opening routine?
No — the bar has its own opening and closing duties sheet for cellar, optics and till float, because that routine runs on a different clock from the floor and kitchen. Use both where you have a bar.
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